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( No Model.)

J. RHULE.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Aug. 14, 1888.

INVENTOR WITNESESl ATTORNEYS.

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ihvrrnn STATES PATENT Caries.

JACOB EHULE, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TW'O- THIRDS TO SYLVESTER A. COSGRAVE AND CHARLES W. SCOVEL,

BOTH OF SAME PLACE.

CAR=COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,999, dated August 14, 1888.

Application filed December 23, 1887. Serial No. 258,804.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Jncon RHULE, of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention is in the nature of an improvement on the car-coupling for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 278,598, were issued to me May 29, 1 883.

The object of this improvement is to adapt the said car'coupling for use with opposing draw-heads of different lengths, and to strengthen and stiffen the depending draftplate which resists the strain on the d raw-bar, and the angular brace by which said draftplate is sustained.

The invention comprises certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter fully described, and distinctly pointed in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is an inverted plan view of a part of a car-bottom frame provided with a carcoupling embodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the same on theline axraliigl. Fig.3 is adetail perspective view of the improved draft-plate and sustaining-brace. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view, of a part hereinafter described.

The draw-head A, its lining B, and keeper 0, the draw l'iar D, draft-plate E, cushioning springs F and G, and angular draft-sustaining brace H are or may be arranged substantially as described in, my previous application, No. 278,598, before referred to.

To adapt the one size of draw-head, A, for use with opposing draw-heads of different lengths a strong spool, J, preferably of cylindrical form, as shown, is placed on the drawbar D between the draft-plate E and the rear of the draw-head, and in this instance in front of the bufferspring F, said spool being of such length as to make the draft or travel of the draw-head the same as that of the op- (No model.)

posing draw-head. The end of said spoolfacing the spring F is formed with a concave socket, J, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, to receive and hold the end of the spring.

The draft-plate E is strengthened with respect to the angular brace H by brackets K, which are bent down from the body of the brace parallel with each other, and so as to coincide with the inner edges of the. two central longitudinal floor-beams, L, thus permitting fastening-bolts M to be passed through each brace-arm adjacent to the brackets K, near both edges of said arm. The draft-plate E,being thus strongly braced,is re-enforced by a flat plate, N, welded or riveted to its outer face to resist the direct strain caused by the draw-bar. The two diverging arms of the angular brace are connected near the bolster O, to which their rear downturncd ends are bolted by a transverse rigid T or like bar, I, the ends of which are secured to the brace arms by the bolts Q, which pass also through the corresponding longitudinal beams L. The bar 1? relieves the bolts connecting the brace with the bolster of excessive strain while greatly stiffening the arms of the brace laterally.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a carcoupling, the combination, with a draft-plate fixed to the car-body, a sliding draw-head, a draw-bar workingloosely in the draft-plate and the drawhead and having end stops, cushioningsprings on the draw-barbe- 8;, tween its rear end stop and the draft-plate and between the drawhead and the draftplate, respectively, of a spool placed loosely on the draw-bar between the draw-head and the draft-plate, substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, an angular metallic draft-sustaining brace having its end at the apex of the angle bent downward at a right angle and apertured to form a transverse draft-plate, and the metal at opposite sides of 5 said draft-plate bent downward to form parallel strengthening-brackets at right angles thereto, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the longitudinal beams of a car-bottom and the bolster, of an 100 angular brace carrying a draft-plate, bolts connecting the ends of said brace with the bolster, a rigid transverse bar bridging the angular brace, and bolts each passing through an end of the transverse bar, the corresponding arm of the brace, and the longitudinal car-beam thereabove, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, an angular draft-sustaining brace having its forward angle end IO bent down to form a draft-plate, in combination with a re-enforcing plate welded or riveted t0 the outer face of the draft-plate, substantially as described.

JACOB RHULE. \Vitnesses:

P. M. CUSHING, GEO. FOX. 

